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Fate / Zero Review

A show about historical figures killing each other to win the Holy Grail? Why did this not happen sooner?

Fate/Zero is the prequel to the infamous visual novel and anime series Fate/Stay Night. While Fate/Stay Night was a failed attempt to translate a visual novel into an anime, Fate/Zero is one of the most well written shows in anime history.

Seven candidates are chosen to take park in the Holy Grail war, an event that takes place roughly every 50 years that grants the victor anything they desire, and must fight to the death in order to earn the Grail. To assist in their fight, they are allowed to summon a spirit to help them; with the big selling point being that the spirits are famous historical figures. It’s highly entertaining watching Arthur Pendragon duke it out with Alexander the Great with magical powers, it’s so cool!

Soon the show becomes a strange anime adaptation of Game of Thrones. Characters are tied together with small threads, with deception and betrayal being a common occurrence. This keeps you on your toes throughout the entire 25 episode series, for you never know when someone is going to turn around and slit someone’s neck. Its chilling knowing that trust is never an option between these characters, and it makes a brilliant show.

While the fights are entertaining, the real battles are done with words. The person with the sharpest tongue and quickest mind has the ability to woo others into their favor, making some of the most intense scenes in the show ones that are full of dialogue. You’ll need to be up for quite a bit of reading to get the most out of this show.

Fate/Zero is a beautifully animated special that shows how wonderful the anime medium can get. While at times it can be a bit bleak with its violence and depressing themes, it makes up for it with incredible writing and production values. It’s a show that highlights all that is great about anime and brings it to the forefront of the stage. It’s well paced character development and high octane action scenes make Fate/Zero not one to be missed.